Court Upholds Alameda County’s Safe Drug Disposal Ordinance

On Sept. 30th, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the pharmaceutical industry associations’ challenge to Alameda County’s 2012 medicine take-back law. The lawsuit against Alameda County is similar to a lawsuit against King County’s Secure Medicine Return Regulations. With this decision King County's extended implementation deadlines are now active; drug manufacturers who sell covered products in King County must submit a draft stewardship plan by Feb. 12, 2015. The San Francisco Chronicle and Wall Street Journal have further coverage of the Alameda ruling.